1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to board games such as checkers and chess played on a grid and, more particularly, to a system for selectively adjusting the mode and level of play of the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic games which provide visual aids to the players to assist them in their decision making are known for teaching the fundamentals of positional games, such as chess, checkers, and the like, to inexperienced players, or for assisting more experienced players in improving their game. A particularly useful teaching device for positional games is one which provides a visual indication to the players of their possible moves. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,671 to Gardner discloses a chess game comprising a chessboard having a socket on each square thereof into which the various chess pieces are plugged as they are moved on the board. A plurality of optical fibers interconnect the 64 squares of the chessboard, and each chesspiece contains a light source for directing light through a mask comprising a plurality of openings located in a predetermined pattern on the base of the chesspiece. The pattern of openings, which encodes each chesspiece according to its type, directs the light into selected ones of the optical fibers to illuminate the squares on the chess board to which the chesspiece is capable of moving. The Gardner device, however, does not take into consideration the positions of other playing pieces on the board, which influence the manner in which some chesspieces are able to move.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,397 to Thacker discloses another chess game in which squares that are under attack or which are defended by one or more chesspieces are illuminated. However, the Thacker device provides a bank of 64 switches for each player which must be manipulated in order to illuminate the squares. In U. S. Pat. No. 4,391,447 to Dudley, each playing piece is encoded in accordance with its identity, and each playing position automatically responds to the encoding when it is occupied by a playing piece. An electrical circuit associated with the playing position causes other positions to which the playing piece is capable of moving to be illuminated with an appropriate color. Each playing piece includes light sources which are illuminated when the playing piece is in jeopardy of being captured by an opposing playing pieces or is covered by a friendly playing piece. The intensity of attack and the depth of cover may also be indicated. The playing pieces are automatically oriented in a predetermined manner when they are placed on a playing position in order to establish electrical contact between electrical terminals on the base of the playing piece and electrical terminals on the playing position.
None of the patents mentioned, nor any others known to the applicant, are capable of selectively, arbitrarily, and possibly at random, adjusting the manner of play of a playing piece according to changes imposed on individual playing positions on the playing board.
It was in light of the foregoing that the present invention was conceived and has now been reduced to practice.